We think of the New Year as a way to start over fresh. I am sure you have heard the phrase “New Year, New Me” which is so cliche because it normally doesn’t happen and even though we want to forget the past and look only to the future we usually fail. We want to change previous outcomes and hopefully prevent the same mistakes for hope of a better future. So we make negative New Year resolutions like giving up caffeine, certain foods, social media, relationships, etc. We even might make positive resolutions like losing weight, exercising more, or going to the gym. These are fine but we only do them for two weeks and quit. Why don’t we follow through? Do we just promise these things to make us feel better for a short period? Is there hope?
Here are a few questions for you. What if Jesus didn’t follow through on his resolutions? Where would we be now? What would our outcome be? These are hard questions to stomach. The problem may not be our commitment to (insert resolution here). Our problem may be committing. We need to learn to follow through.
Trust me, we all have things we want to change or overcome. We all have desires and hopes to move forward and forget the past. We all hope to overcome emotional, physical and mental issues such as addictions to drugs, alcohol, or pornography, selfishness, depression, anxiety, physical pain, trauma. We know we can’t do it alone and can only achieve our resolutions by only one specific way: through Jesus. If we want something to last then we need to look at Jesus, who overcame all struggles. His sacrifice changed the outcome for you and me, and if we choose him he can accomplish great things in us and help us defeat the things that plague us.
Look to God and his Word for the answers. Jesus overcame the devil, temptation, and most importantly death; death on a cross to be the ultimate payment for our sin, so that redemption and resolutions can be possible. Why? Because he loves us. He cares more about you and I then we can fathom and realize. He desires a personal relationship with you so that you can have eternal life with him. He wants us to live a life that pleases him but because we sin he had to demonstrate his love and power in through dying on a cross for our sins.
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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